Hopkins Marine Station Student Paper

Title: Characterization of electric shock in Torpedo californicaStudent Author(s): Lynn, SuellenFaculty Advisor(s): Thompson, StuartPages: 23Location: Final Papers Biology 175HDate: June 1989 Keywords: nearshore fishesAbstract: This paper is devoted to characterizing the electric organs in the Pacific electric ray, Torpedo californica. These rays do not show signs of conditioning to electric stimuli. It is possible to record the amplitude of the voltage generated by the rays' electric organs and to record post-synaptic potentials from isolated living electric organ tissue. The neuromuscular junction potentials are capable of following nerve stimulation at frequencies in excess of 80 Hertz. These isolated column recordings show that facilitation occurs in the neurotransmitting mechanism that produces the shock.